Once More, With Feeling
by EmpyrealFantasy
Summary: ºSasuNaruSasuº For his friends, for his precious people, for Sasuke… Naruto would do anything. No matter the cost, he would save them all. Even if it meant taking on time itself.
1. Eradication of Fate

Disclaimer: I do not own, though I would love to petition Kishi-sensei to make a yaoi ending. XD I stole the title of the story from… yes, it's sad, the Buffy musical. It fits and it popped in my head, even though I haven't seen a Buffy episode in 5 or 6 years. XD

Pairing: Sasuke x Naruto

Warnings: Yaoi, language, OOCness, Rokudaime!Naruto, friend!Sakura, time travel, violence, dark imagery, chakra play, power fetishes, character death (that won't be permanent), use of the word pinkette, and a whole lot more.

Length: Likely only 10 chapters or so… we'll see.

Timeline **(IMPORTANT!): **Okay, since this is a FANfiction, I can do as I please, and so, I am changing something spanning and large, but not the story itself. I am upping everyone's ages three years, and no I don't mean this will take place post-timeskip. For the sake of this story, lets **pretend** the Uchiha massacre happened when Sasuke was 10, almost 11. The first series took place when Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke were 15. The post-timeskip time period made them 18. Etc etc. I have to do this, or else this story would creep most people out. XD

--

**Once More, With Feeling**

_Eradication of Fate_

--

"RUN, damnit, Naruto!"

He hated running. He despised it. He hated feeling weak, wanting nothing more than to sit and cry. He hated the emptiness that was consuming him, the lack of his trademark tenacity. But on he ran, only because of Sakura's familiar voice reminding him to, he ran because she was all he had left.

They were all dead.

Bodies were everywhere, many Naruto didn't recognize and some he did. Corpses littered the once bright streets of Konoha, blood coated the storefronts. Only with his training was Naruto able to hold back the urge to gag as he had to jump over the dismembered arm of a child that had likely not even been old enough for the Academy yet. These were _his_ people, his charges, and even without the loss of his own precious people Naruto thought he would feel like giving up.

"Keep _running_! So help me Naruto, I will break your neck if you don't hurry up!"

'_Why?'_ he wanted to ask, _'Why bother? They're dead, Sakura, don't you see? Women, children, ninjas. They're gone. _All of them_ are dead. Why are we running? Why should we live through this?'_

But he didn't ask. He couldn't force the words out of his mouth. Instead he bit his lip and put on an extra burst of speed, forcing the Kyuubi to aid him in his flight from Konoha. From home.

Twenty-five year old Uzumaki Naruto was doing something he had promised himself he would never do. He was running away, abandoning his village. Not that there was any more reason to stay, seeing as he and Sakura were the last surviving inhabitants of Konohagakure. The thought nearly tore a sob from Naruto's throat, had the blond not been so sure he had lost the ability to.

He had been inducted as the Rokudaime the year before. It had been fifteen months since he had realized his lifelong dream of being the Hokage. Fifteen months since Tsunade had defied all precedent, ignored the remaining townsfolk who disregarded all Naruto had done for them and protested, and passing her mantle on to the young blond who had managed to turn half the village away from their previous close-mindedness. It had been hard path, but Naruto had walked it unflinchingly.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, yanking him by the elbow, "Now is not the time to break, damnit!" Cerulean blue eyes met with sea-foam green and Naruto couldn't help having a short moment of pride for the woman in front of him. Long years training as Tsunade's apprentice had turned her from a simpering girl into a strong, independent woman, whose strength never failed to stun Naruto. Even now, those eyes were hard and determined, even though she herself had just lost her husband and child.

Somehow, she wasn't letting it affect her, though Naruto didn't know how she could even _breathe._

"Then when?!" he finally burst out, speaking for the first time in an hour as he wrenched his arm out of her colossal grip. "When can I break? I'm _done_ Sakura! _They're all dead_!! My people are dead, my friends are dead, Sasuke… " his voice broke and his jaw clenched, cold blue eyes boring into her as he roared, barely handling his rage enough to keep the Kyuubi's features from emerging, "When _can_ I break?"

Fierce fire lit in the eyes he had known for over a decade. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself," she hissed vehemently, "We BOTH lost everything! But I am not going to lie down and die, Naruto, and I am going to protect my Hokage!"

With strength that had long since surpassed that of even Tsunade's, the pinkette latched onto his arm again and dragged him away, the city's gates in sight.

Naruto closed his eyes and let the kunoichi lead him, the last few hours flashing before his mind.

Fires consuming his village, Deidara cackling from his perch high above, his explosives still being thrown out even then, killing most of the village before Naruto could even exit his tower.

Iruka's face as a blast rushed toward him, unable to move in his shock, only turning as Naruto screamed and the fire engulfed him.

Neji's confused look as Kisame impaled him on his sword.

Shikamaru's eyes locking with Naruto's as he was eaten alive by Zetsu.

Anko's screams as she was dismembered by Tobi.

Kakashi's snarl as he managed to take down Deidara, only for both of them to be killed in an explosion.

…Sasuke's apologetic smile as he dove between Kisame and Naruto, his eyes locked with those of his husband's as the chakra-eating sword did its job.

Their relationship had never been traditional. Insults had taken the place of endearments, sparring instead of snuggling. But for them… it had been perfect. Naruto had never really thought he would gain happiness with all the problems he had faced growing up. Six years ago, Sasuke had come back after defeating Orochimaru and Itachi, a new outlook on life after hearing his older brother's parting sentiments. It hadn't taken long for the boys to realize that their tense rivalry had a lot more behind it than familial affection, and upon recognizing it to be mutual, the two had wasted little time.

They had only gotten married six months prior, after years of pressure from everyone around them and to the broken hearted wails of half the female population of Konoha. Sasuke and Naruto had been considered two of the most eligible bachelors in the town, and seeing them taken _together_ had been devastating. Not that the pair cared what anyone else thought. The had merely brushed off any commentary, simply happy to have the lives they had been given.

In Sasuke's last moments, Naruto's heart had broken to hear the first 'I love you' ever passed between them gasped from between pale lips… it had been done just as the light left Sasuke's black eyes.

A rough yank propelled Naruto back to reality, and he met with the eyes of his long-time friend, "Come on, Naruto. We're almost out."

And he forced the thoughts to the back of his mind as they ran into the forest.

Reaching a secluded clearing that would surely buy them time, Sakura stopped and tugged on her short ponytail, "Are you sure you want to do this, Naruto?"

The usually immature, chipper man met her eyes steadily, in the mindset most of his friends dubbed as 'Rokudaime-Mode', his hands already fumbling in his robe pockets. "I can't _not_ do this, Sakura. I'm going, and I'm not going to let something like this happen again. I can't."

The kunoichi nodded, biting her lip with a worried gaze, "What if this doesn't work? You only found the scroll last month… "

And he had. There seemed to be an endless amount of scrolls only accessible by the Hokage, and Naruto had methodically been going through every one of them. Many things he had no interest in; he was still terrible with Genjutsu and never bothered to try and improve on it. His mind didn't have the right set for illusionary tactics. On the same vein, many of the scrolls were elementally based, and since he wasn't proficient in anything beyond wind and fire, again he didn't bother with them.

But this scroll had intrigued him. It was something only hypothesized, as none before him had had the necessary chakra to undertake such a thing, but the jutsu would apparently give the user a second chance at life. It would take them back to an important event and allow them to retain their knowledge, thusly giving the wielder a chance to change the outcome of the future. It was a Forbidden scroll, as doing anything to alter time was expressly prohibited… but Naruto had memorized it anyway. He hadn't honestly believed it would be needed -- and it could just as easily backfire and kill him -- but in the situation he was currently faced with, death was preferable to living on.

"I will do this, Sakura-chan," he said softly, adding on the fond honorific. "I will go back… back to before the Chuunin exams. I will make sure Sasuke is never cursed, I will warn the Sandaime about Orochimaru. With the knowledge I have now, I will help to take down the Akatsuki member by member. Then we can be happy, Sakura. All of us."

"But how do you know, Naruto?" she said softly, laying her hand on his tense shoulder, "Time is not that simple. Changing things could make them so much worse… "

"I have to _try_!" he exclaimed, whipping around and forcing back the tears that burned his eyes. He was not weak. He stood tall, his posture straight and his chin set fiercely. "Even if it all turns out the same… at least I tried. I would not deserve to be Hokage if I didn't do anything in my power to help my people. And… this… this is in my power, Sakura-chan. I will go back, I will make things right. I, Uzumaki Naruto, Rokudaime Hokage will correct this destiny, dattebayo!"

Sakura's green eyes were brimming with tears as she rushed forward to clutch Naruto close, a choked sob escaping her throat. "You've grown so much… "

Naruto held her close, relishing in this last bit of contact. He would be going back to a Sakura that berated him for simply existing, whose eyes saw no one but Sasuke. After all the loss of the day, he would now willingly be losing one of his closest friends. He held her tighter, nearly painfully.

"Sakura-chan… come with me."

The girl choked. "Wh-What? I can't, Naruto… "

"I don't want to lose you too! Think about it… if I change everything… you'll never exist. If Sasuke never leaves the village… you won't become the person you are now. I can't… I've lost so many of my precious people, Sakura-chan, don't make me lose you too…"

The girl shuddered, her strong exterior crumbling, "B-But Naruto… the _power_ it would take to send both of us back… "

"Kyuubi's chakra is nearly unlimited, Sakura-chan. I can't lose you like this, and the damned fox will help me if he wants to live. I'm going to need help, and you know I'm real bad at making tough decisions… I'll need your help. Come with me… "

The pinkette drew back and met his eyes, a small smile twitching at the corner of her mouth. "Is that an order, sir?"

An answering smile bloomed on Naruto's face. "It is."

"Then yes, Rokudaime-sama. Your wish is my command."

--

It hadn't taken much time to prepare. Naruto had meditated in the center of the clearing, Sakura watching his back, going over and over the order of the hand seals in his mind. He would not mess this up.

He had to do this. For his people. For his friends.

For Sasuke.

_Naruto was surprised when the roundhouse kick connected with the side of his head, making his vision blacken for a moment. He and Sasuke had been sparring over a river outside of Konoha, not far from where they used to do D-ranked missions all those years ago. With a great splash Naruto hit the water, his control on his chakra dampened by the bone jarring kick, sending him into the rapids._

_No one ever accused Uzumaki Naruto of being overly intelligent, so when he realized he was under fast-moving water without having had time to get a breath, he began flailing, panicking needlessly and draining the energy that remained. The dizziness from Sasuke's hit to his head only made matters worse, and very quickly he found himself running out of air and unable to kick his way through the strong currents. He was used to placid lakes, not rivers._

_Then a hand had him, yanking him into the cool air. Naruto gagged as he breathed in too deeply, shuddering his breaths out as he was laid on the bank. He looked up at a drenched Sasuke, black hair plastered to his head and water running down his face as he leaned over Naruto with a Sasuke-version of concern on his face. To most, this would probably look like annoyance, but Naruto knew better. The picture reminded Naruto of the last moments in the Valley of the End, his friend leaning over him silently as he realized he could not bring about his death, and that scared Naruto more than he would ever admit._

_"Dobe?"_

_Even years in the future he would claim insanity in that moment, barely having gotten his breath back from the river, as he reached up to the remaining Uchiha's neck and yanked him down forcefully, pushing himself up into a desperate kiss that was fiercely returned. Soaked and panting as they broke apart, the truth was clear. Nothing could ever be as it had been before Sasuke's defection… but sometimes, change was a good thing._

"Are you ready?" Naruto asked as he broke from his reverie and stood, brushing off his Hokage's robes.

"Whenever you are."

Naruto nodded and waved her over, positioning her hands on his upper arms to allow him the movement to make the hand seals, "I don't know if this will be painful, I don't know what is going to happen. But no matter what… we'll do it for sure!"

Sakura nodded grimly, and Naruto could see the reluctance and pessimism in her eyes. But they _would _make it, and everything would work out fine. He would be strong for her.

_Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog._

Swiftly Naruto began forming the long string of hand seals required, moving steadily as his mind repeated the sequence again and again. One repetition for every year they needed to go back.

_Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog._

In the recesses of his being he could feel the Kyuubi responding, the massive beast sending out waves of chakra to fuel the spell. The demon had little choice in the matter, as Naruto would likely die if they stayed in the current timeframe.

_Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog._

For his own survival Kyuubi tapped into itself, pushing out vast quantities of its limitless pools of power.

_Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog._

He repeated them again and again, his hands steadily going faster and faster. A presence tickled the edges of his awareness, but he was almost halfway done, he couldn't wait and figure out who it was.

_Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog._

He chanted the string of seals in his mind rapidly as his hands moved of their own accord, blurring through the motions.

_Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog!_

He very nearly crowed as lashes of fire sprung out from his aura, striking the ground like whips around him. He could feel the magic tugging at his soul, his essence, and a smile lit his face. It was working, he could feel it.

_Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog!!_

The whips of fire had created a formation on the grasses around him, circles within circles with bisecting lines.

_Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog!!_

The two of them were glowing in the terrible red of Kyuubi's chakra, Naruto knew, and he met glimmering green eyes that held real hope for the first time in hours.

_Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, DOG!!_

They were going to make it.

_Tiger, Rat, Monkey, Snake, Rabbit, Horse, Sheep, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Pig, Dog!!_

The last sequence went through just as Kisame burst into the clearing, charging towards them with his scaled sword. Naruto grinned ferally at the shark-like man, unable to speak or make the crude gesture that came to mind due to his need to hold the final sign.

"Kokugen Sakasa no Jutsu!"

As the roaring red fire, hot enough to sear their skin and becoming hotter by the moment raised around them and masked their sight, an ear-splitting scream made Naruto's eyes widen.

Through Sakura's chest was the huge blade Samehada, her red-obscured face twisted into an expression of shock and pain.

It was the last thing Naruto saw before the jutsu took him away.

--

Kokugen Sakasa no Jutsu is… well… lame. Kokugen is a moment in time and Sakasa is backwards, reverse, or inverted. My command of the language isn't good enough to do any better than that, and hell if I'll use some cheesy-sounding English one. XP

**Japanese:**_I will refrain from using much at all_, but there are some terms that I refuse to omit. For instance, suffixes/honorifics. It just isn't right, to me, for there to not be any. Without Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei, and Sasuke-kun… the world is a dreary place to me. XD Other than that, these will be the only Japanese words that will be used, and I'm assuming you've been reading fan fiction enough to know them even without any grasp on the language. However, if there is one on this list you don't know, feel free to ask.

Shinobi, kunoichi, dattebayo, the numerical titles for the Hokage (Sandaime, Yondaime, Godaime, Rokudaime, etc), nicknames (dobe, teme, usuratonkachi, Ero-sennin, baa-chan), Kyuubi and kitsune, jinchuuriki, Sannin, and all jutsu and bloodline limits (I will translate any original ones in each chapter). **That is all.**


	2. Acceptance of Circumstance

Disclaimer: I do not own, though I would love to petition Kishi-sensei to make a yaoi ending. XD

This jumps around a lot. I apologize. It's getting the duo acclimated.

**Note: Remember, please… I changed the ages. Where they were 12 in the manga/anime, they are 15 in my story.**

--

**Once More, With Feeling**

_Acceptance of Circumstance_

--

Naruto groaned as consciousness returned to him, pressing the heels of his hands into his temples. The sun burned into his closed eyelids.

"Fucking hell, who opened my goddamned windows this early? Konohamaru, I swear, if this is your idea of a prank, I'm going to kick your sorry ass so hard you'll be lucky to end up in the running for the Nijuudaime!!"

Silence greeted his annoyed rumblings, and he was vaguely aware of rocks stabbing him in the back. Naruto grimaced and rolled over, his arm seeking out his lover blindly for several long moments before the memories of the previous day assaulted him.

Blood. Screams. Death.

_"I… love you, Naruto."_

Naruto shot up, instantly awake and eyes panicked. Dead. They were all dead. He and Sakura had escaped, he'd used the jutsu…

"Sakura!" he screamed, frantically looking around him. He could still see the sword pierced through her chest, her green eyes wide and hazy. Why?! Why did everything have to go wrong?!

His eyes locked on a bit of pink and he practically _flew_ to her, hands shaking as he checked her for injuries. Without realizing it he had grasped her shoulders and started shaking her, repeating her name over and over again. She appeared unharmed but he couldn't be sure.

Green eyes fluttered open with a long moan, a few choice curses picked up from too long around Tsunade spilling from her lips. Naruto felt a wave of relief crash over him and he grinned so widely that his face ached from the effort. "Sakura-chan!"

Finally her eyes focused, and her own hands flew to her chest, feeling for the pain she had experienced. Naruto didn't know how she could manage to process the truth of the last twenty-four hours so easily, but he knew Sakura was much more collected than he would ever be. "Naruto? Oh my god, we did it, didn't we?"

Naruto raised his eyes finally, allowing himself to take in his surroundings now that he knew Sakura to be alive and _herself_, "I don't smell any fire or death," he choked out in awe, turning his eyes to her. "And you… you're fifteen again. We did it, Sakura. **We did it**!!"

He leapt up and Sakura was embarrassed _for_ him, dancing in a circle like a child and shaking his garishly orange-clad body. "You're the utmost of poise, Rokudaime-sama."

Naruto glared for half a second before laughing, and Sakura smiled up at the young version of her friend. She could still see clearly the man she knew he would become in that face, but she had the silliest urge to pinch his slightly chubby cheeks.

So she did.

"HEY! Sakura-chan! What was that for?"

"You look so _little_, I couldn't help it. I never looked enough at you at this age. You were soooo cute!"

Naruto mock scowled, "And I never realized how _flat_ you were at this age."

Sakura's eye twitched dangerously, reminding Naruto of just which one of them could call on strength the easiest. "Na-ru-to!!"

"Eh heh… sorry?"

--

Their levity was not to last.

Cerulean eyes snapped to attention suddenly, losing all the triumphant joy they had held. Tension filled the clearing. Sakura gulped, a heavy sense of trepidation suddenly filling her, "Naruto?"

"Your hair…" Naruto's voice was oddly strangled, and Sakura's breathing hitched to notice a violet tinge to his eyes. It was not at all uncommon for Naruto to take on the Kyuubi's traits when angry… but for him to be forcibly holding them back meant his emotions had reached a level where he was afraid of losing himself.

"W-What about it?"

Naruto's eyes looked dead in that moment, and Sakura _hurt_ looking at them, "Naruto? Tell me…" she was afraid to find out herself.

"Feel your hair, Sakura."

And she did. Se ran her fingers though the familiar style, noting that she needed a trim. She couldn't look at it at this length though, so she didn't know what…

Oh.

OH.

A gasp left her breathless.

--

Naruto felt like he had been dropped off a precipice.

Sakura's hair was in the same short style she had worn for years…

The style she had unwillingly gotten during the Chuunin exams.

"**Fuck!**"

Birds flew from their perches at the guttural scream and Naruto's labored breathing sounded nearly as silent in the stillness that followed. Icy fingers gripped his heart, claws rending as he fell to his knees. He could feel his nails in the transition stage between human nails and claws, before the bones broke and reformed but sharp enough to draw blood from his skin.

"Why?" he choked out, steadily more red-tinged eyes raising to meet with watery green. "How could this happen? How could it happen this way?"

"Naruto…"

"Why?!" he screamed out, tears lining his eyes, "After everything… this is the sick joke played on us? I managed the impossible, Sakura! I managed something no one had done before… and it's for nothing?!"

"No, Naruto, it isn't… it's not for nothing, we'll think of something…"

"Shut up!" he hissed before clenching his eyes shut and taking several long shaking breaths. "Sasuke has been cursed by Orochimaru already. As far as we know, he may have already defected at this point. Even if he hasn't… do you _remember_ how the curse seal made him back then? Do you?! His revenge took over his mind, Sakura. He was willing to _lose his life _to Orochimaru so long as Itachi was killed. We almost lost him, Sakura! I can't… I can't get through to him like that. If we would have managed to come back before the Chuunin exams, I could have stopped Orochimaru… but Sasuke has already been cursed!" He snapped open bright blue eyes to lock them on his trembling friend. "I failed."

The pinkette stood and walked to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, "Naruto, you have not failed. We have a chance to save Sasuke-kun, I promise you. You got through to him once, ne? We can do it again! Just… quicker this time. Before he goes away…"

"The only reason we got through to him last time was because he had seen through Orochimaru and _killed_ him, Sakura. Even then he didn't come back until after he had killed Itachi. I can't… I can't save him now…" For the first time since the loss of all he held dear, tears fell from Naruto's eyes, his hands fisting the grass and dirt, "I'm nothing to him in this time, don't you see? This won't be the same as it was then. I may be his proclaimed 'best friend', but that's only enough for him to attempt to kill me, not listen to me!"

Sakura didn't know what to say to this and just rocked him like a mother would a child, tears forming in her own eyes as she shushed him and tried her best not to think of a little black haired boy with her eyes that she would never see again. Because she was not so foolish as to think that everything would end up the same as it had. She knew they had sacrificed a lot of their future to change their past, and she only hoped it would be worth it.

Because it had to be.

His voice was low, defeated when he finally spoke again through the tears, "I can't do this, Sakura. I can't watch him walk away from me again."

Sakura's sadness was swiftly replaced by a burning anger and she yanked his face up to hers. "You listen to me, Uzumaki Naruto," she hissed out, lips pulled into a snarl, "We _will_ save Sasuke, and we _will_ save everyone else. Do you hear me?! Where is my Rokudaime?! If you dare to give up, I will ram my fist so far up your…"

"Yo!" a voice interrupted, and both of ninja whipped around, kunai drawn out of instinct as they faced the familiar voice. Kakashi's book was absent as he moved his visible eye over them, an amused smile obvious to those who knew him. "Sorry to interrupt, but I couldn't help but overhear your problem…"

Naruto growled and moved before Kakashi could block him, slamming the older man against a tree with Naruto's kunai at his throat, "How much did you hear?" Naruto hated doing this, but he knew it was necessary. Friend or not, he would not allow anyone to stand in his way; it was painful enough to be looking into the face of a man he had seen die. However, it only reassured his resolve to change the future.

Kakashi seemed unperturbed by the situation he was in, smiling still at the blond. "My my, you've certainly improved over the years, haven't you?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Spit it out, Kakashi."

"So little respect for your sensei, Naruto-kun…" the Jounin lamented in a fake tone, his visible eye curved in amusement. "Or should I say Rokudaime-sama?"

Sakura had recovered herself by now, pulling Naruto away from their former instructor and glaring at Kakashi, "So you've heard everything. What now, Kakashi?"

The Jounin blinked, "You expect something?"

"You're obviously thinking something. I've known you for a decade, _sensei_, and I'm not fooled. Will you report us to the old hag?" Naruto said.

Kakashi tapped a finger against his masked cheek, a thoughtful expression on his face, "I assume that you came here for a reason. Due to what I overheard, it is to save the people of Konoha. No, I will not tell the Godaime," Kakashi paused long enough for Naruto to expel his breath in a whoosh. "You will."

Naruto groaned and fell back onto the ground, pouting at the older man, "But I don't _wanna_!"

Sakura smacked a hand to her face and Kakashi turned his attention to her. "And you all allowed… this to be your Rokudaime?"

Sakura let out a small laugh that was muffled by the hand still covering her face. "He's much better when he's not trying to play the clown."

"Play? Who said anything about playing? I _so_ don't want to listen to Tsunade throwing a hissy fit right now. I'm in my fifteen year old body, I break easier!"

Sakura removed the hand from her face in order to smack Naruto in the back of the head with it. "Idiot. Kakashi's right, you know. We need to let Tsunade-shishou know about this. She'll understand."

"Yeah, but _you_ won't be the one she's flicking through the walls, Sakura-chan."

"May I ask something?" Kakashi asked. He was apparently satisfied with the two, as his nose was once again hidden behind a volume of _Icha Icha_. "How many years did you come?"

"Ten," Sakura answered before the paranoid Naruto could cause more problems.

"Ah, it is a sensei's dream for his students to grow up… I will require a private test of your skills soon, you know."

Naruto scoffed, "The bell test again, I bet? You're so unoriginal."

Kakashi only smiled.

--

Naruto sighed as he followed along beside Kakashi and Sakura, back through the woods on their way back to Konoha and the Hokage's tower. They had talked for a while, giving Kakashi a bare bones outline of why they had come and what had spurred something as drastic and _forbidden_ as time travel. Naruto refused to tell everything, despite Sakura's prodding, explaining that he didn't want to possibly ruin everything before they had a grasp on what they would do now that their original rudimentary plan had been ruined by their late arrival.

Thankfully, Sasuke had not yet defected. However, unfortunately, Itachi had already managed to compound the doubts in Sasuke's mind. Naruto had cursed a blue streak at that. He had had a flare of hope that though they had come too late for the Chuunin exams that perhaps he could, instead, prevent Itachi from reinstating into Sasuke his 'need to hate'. Naruto was positive that the fate of Konohagakure hinged on Sasuke's presence in the village. He wasn't sure why he believed it… but he could feel it all the way to his bones. Without Sasuke there, the dreary future would repeat no matter how hard they tried, or perhaps become even worse.

Naruto's breath shuddered out of him as they entered Konoha's gates and he observed the bustling town. People laughed and went about their day, a far cry from the bloodcurdling screams and dead bodies the last time he had seen it. As he watched, Shikamaru strolled by at the end of the street with his eyes on the clouds with Chouji following close behind. The door to a store that Naruto had seen destroyed opened, several customers exiting with smiles. It was a normal day in Konohagakure.

Naruto's heart soared.

Just the sight of the people -- perhaps no longer _his_ people, but the people he had grown to love and cherish -- going about their daily lives lightened his heart. Fears seemed less substantial as he stood in view of his second chance, seeing everyone going about the lives the Akatsuki's attack had cut short. He could feel the glares that were leveled on him as he was noticed, but it didn't bother him in the slightest. He knew that with time they would respect him, and he couldn't bring himself to blame them for their small-mindedness.

Sakura dropped back from Kakashi, who watched them both from the corner of his eye, and the pinkette lightly bumped her shoulder into his, raising an eyebrow. Over the years, between Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, this had become a silent form of reassurance or question. He merely smiled honestly and bumped back as they arrived at the tower.

_'Are you doing alright?'_ she had asked.

_'Wonderful.'_

--

"So let me get this straight," Tsunade drawled, honey colored eyes flicking back and forth between Sakura and Naruto. Kakashi had been forced from the room for their talk. "Ten years in the future, the Akatsuki will attack Konoha and level it. The Rokudaime Hokage… who is _this_ brat of all people… will then perform an illegal and dangerous jutsu to transport himself and the only other surviving citizen of the town back in time to their Genin bodies?"

"Yes, Tsunade-shishou," Sakura chirped, back straight under the familiar gaze of her mentor.

"Geez, old hag, you've repeated it three times already. Age really does affect the brain, doesn't it?"

Tsunade fumed and cracked her knuckles and was met with an unrepentant grin.

"You stupid little brat! What have I told you about calling me old?!"

"Aww, come on Tsunade-baa-chan, lying to yourself is very taxing…"

A fist connected with Naruto's head soundly.

"Fuck!"

Sakura's fist followed. "Language, Naruto."

"Jeez. I knew there was a reason I don't date chicks."

Sakura scoffed, rolling her eyes at the familiar retort. Tsunade paused and shot Naruto a look, but seemed relatively unfazed. The look on her face showed that she hadn't expected it, but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility for her.

"Yes, well, in this time you're still perfectly straight with a crush on _me_," the pinkette injected wryly.

Naruto laughed harder. "Oh man, those were the days. I was so _weird_!"

Sakura balled her fists. "Naruto…"

Immediately Naruto was on the defensive, waving his hands, "No, no Sakura, you know I don't mean it like that. You know you're hot shit and all. But still, liking a _girl_?I've always thought your entire gender was weird as hell, I just didn't realize I had options."

"You dated Hinata-chan for a month when you were eighteen."

"Yeah, and we kissed twice the whole time. And I felt nothing. That kinda cemented my sexuality. I gave her up willingly to Kiba, even if…" Naruto stopped and pursed his lips.

Sakura didn't want his thoughts going down that road right now, thinking about the pile of problems they would be faced with correcting this time around. She threw on a grin and leaned forward, poking a finger into one rounded cheek. "And here I thought it was all the hot sex with Sasuke-kun that cemented your sexuality."

Naruto grinned. "Well _duh_… like any man could honestly stay straight in the face of _that _man's…"

"Naruto, I'm not going to listen to you list off Sasuke's assets again! Scarring!"

"Hah! You call _that_ scarring and you married…"

"Children!" Tsunade roared, breaking up the bantering, "As interesting as these revelations are, there are more important things to deal with than the assets of the Uchiha or who married who."

Naruto sobered instantly, and Tsunade found herself wondering where her brat had gone. Naruto pulled himself up from the floor, straightening his back. "I apologize, baa-chan. I'm feeling a little… strange since we got here. I'm usually not _this_ bipolar."

Tsunade found herself glad for the disrespectful nickname for the first time. "I would think that is the teenage hormones. Your minds have been free of them for some time, now you've been flung into a body which is still in the midst of them."

Sakura nodded sharply. "That seems likely. At fifteen we are both currently at the points where hormone fluctuations are the greatest, and going from a point where we had stabilized to such rapid disruptions would surely make our mental states a bit unbalanced. The excess hormones in our younger bodies being confronted with our older minds, which have not had to deal with the terrors of this for at least a couple of years, is wreaking havoc. Especially with Naruto, with the extreme volatility of testosterone."

Naruto blinked rapidly. "Do I need that translated into normal-human terms? Damned medics."

"In this time we aren't done with puberty, Naruto. We've been done with it for a while now, so our mindsets are no longer used to compensating for the hormones, making our mood swings very pronounced."

The blond nodded his understanding and moved over to one of the chairs across from Tsunade's desk, flopping down into it. "Well, what was the latest mission Team 7 did, baa-chan? I need to know how much time we have."

"You all returned yesterday from Tea Country."

Naruto's frame tensed and his jaw tightened, blue eyes shuttering instantly. "Oh."

"So then Sasuke-kun is in the hospital?"

Tsunade nodded, "Yes."

"There isn't enough time. I don't have enough time to save him. It's tonight that he'll run."

"Run?" Tsunade's eyes hardened. "He will defect?"

Seeing that Naruto was in no state to answer, Sakura slid forward to the woman she knew as her teacher. "Tonight several Sound nin will attack Sasuke and offer him a chance for power. He will take it and run. You assign Shikamaru to chose a Genin team to hunt him down. I've never heard every detail, but the group gets whittled down to let the remaining members go on after Sasuke, eventually leaving only Naruto to face him. Naruto loses and almost dies at Sasuke's hands."

"And this is tonight?"

"Late tonight he will run, the outcome will be decided by sunset tomorrow."

Tsunade, "It's only noon. Can you prevent this?"

Naruto's eyes raised from where he was staring at his hands. "I can delay it. If we can stay by Sasuke's side, we can take out the Sound nins before they can convince him to go. But you know as well as I do, baa-chan, that Orochimaru will not give up so easily. He wants Sasuke's body, he wants the Sharingan. He will not stop until he's gotten it or has died."

"So he was killed in your time?"

Naruto nodded. "Sasuke killed him three years after he left to get his power."

He saw the flash of pain that cut through the Hokage's eyes, and he tilted his mouth in sympathy. He knew how she felt, having been on her side of the problem. He had been the one watching his teammate fall away from him into darkness, unable to save him. He knew the helplessness she had been feeling for decades. Except he had gotten Sasuke back, where he knew Tsunade and Jiraiya never would manage to.

"We'll stop it this time, Naruto. I swear it to you."

Blue eyes locked with green and he smiled. "Thank you, Sakura-chan. I don't know what I would do without you."

"So what's your plan?" Tsunade asked, curious.

Naruto leaned back, fingers steepled but a hard look in his eyes that nearly made Tsunade flinch, "I don't want anyone knowing of my and Sakura's time travel. Damn, but I need Shikamaru's brain right now. Sakura, if I refuse to fight with Sasuke on the roof of the hospital, what do you think the outcome will be?"

"I don't think it will change anything, Hokage-sama." It was habit for them all to drop into a leader-subordinate mindset when he got this serious. "He is stubborn and single-minded at this point in time, and while fighting him left him toiling over how your attack could be stronger than his, not fighting him will only let his suspicions about your strength fester. It is a lose-lose situation."

"What about if I take out those Sound ninjas before they can get near him?"

The pink-haired kunoichi paused. "It would buy us time to get through to him."

"Then that is what we will do. Do you agree, old hag?"

Tsunade glared, "Yes, brat. You know better than I do how to deal with the Uchiha. I want everything run by me though, alright? You may have become the Rokudaime in your time, but I am still the Hokage in this one. I want all plans run through me and I want to be kept up on what's happening. Do you hear me, Naruto?"

The blond rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I hear you."

"Go. Both of you. And when you have more time, you're going to explain to me how you plan to effect the outcome of the future rather than just saving your friend."

Naruto stiffened and set his jaw. "It is one and the same. Without Sasuke, the future will fall out the same way. With him we have a chance. I don't know why or how, but I know it's true."

--

"Naruto?" Sakura asked hesitantly as they made their way to the hospital, glancing at her friend from the corner of her eye.

"Hmm?"

"I just… remember when you asked me to come with you? You told me… you told me it was because you didn't want to lose me, that I would never be the same without Sasuke leaving."

Naruto looked over at her with confusion, "Yes. What's wrong?"

The kunoichi took a deep breath, looking up towards the clouds as she spoke, "What about Sasuke, Naruto? If he doesn't leave… he won't be the same either. He won't be the man you loved."

Naruto jerked to a halt, jaw quivering as he turned slowly to face her. Sakura gulped. She was not afraid of Naruto in any way, even under the Kyuubi's influence, but there was something that made her anxious about him when he became utterly serious. Even after all these years of seeing it, it still caused some part of her to halt in awe, amazed that the hyperactive little boy she had grown up with had become the strong man in front of her. It snuck up on her often, despite the frequency of it. Most often he still jumped around and laughed, smiling brightly and thoroughly annoying everyone around him. But this other side of him, the one that recently seemed dominant in the face of the tragedies they had suffered, took over when the going got rough.

He closed his eyes as he spoke, "Maybe you're right… but I don't care. He's still Sasuke. I loved him at this time too, just in a different way. He was almost like family, he was the person I felt the closest to. And… he really didn't change much with Orochimaru. He became more distant, maybe, and he closed himself off more… but he was still the same Sasuke. It's not like he came back spouting poetry, Sakura. You know what our relationship was like. But I knew what he really meant by what he said, I knew what the smallest expressions he made were supposed to say for him. He never changed, Sakura, it was just how we saw him that changed. It is because of that that I won't let him go."

"Are you sure, Naruto? I don't want you getting hurt by this."

"I am." He gave her a soft smile. "Even if I have to fall in love with him all over again… nothing will keep me from him. He needs me as much, if not more, than I need him."

Though still wary, the pinkette could only agree from the bottom of her heart.

--


	3. Shifting of Veracity

Disclaimer: I do not own, though I would love to petition Kishi-sensei to make a yaoi ending. XD

I'm at a **serious **road block in my main fic, so I actually crawled out of the dark space that is my writer's block and managed to edit this and previous chapters to my liking. I apologize for anyone following along, I generally hate taking this long between chapters. I'm seriously considering removing this and writing before posting. Hmm…

--

**Once More, With Feeling**

_Shifting of Veracity_

--

As the pair continued towards the hospital, Naruto became visibly more anxious. Sakura had to remind him several times to relax and stop projecting his concern, but she knew nothing would calm him. Not only did he have only a few hours to change history as they knew it, but he was about to walk in to see the man he loved, who had no idea of how Naruto felt and who Naruto had watched _die_ that very morning.

Sakura's heart went out the him, and she continually pressed her shoulder to his in what she hoped was a casual gesture to remind him she was there, she wasn't leaving, and she would be by his side.

The glares Naruto was given were disturbing. Sakura knew the villagers had hated Naruto, she had even witnessed it during the years after his return from training with Jiraiya. However, by then things had calmed down very much in comparison to what she was seeing now. How could she have missed this for all those months they had spent together, nearly an entire _year_?

The eighth of September suddenly felt like an ominous, horrible day, even more so than it had been in their timeline when she had clung to Sasuke telling him she loved him. Because this day would decide their path. Sakura couldn't help but shudder.

"How will we do this, Naruto?"

He kept walking, but put on a slightly strained smile. "First of all, you're going to have to act as if nothing is different." He glared suddenly, though without any real malice. "Don't go overboard."

Sakura laughed. "Sasuke is an attractive man and an interesting person, but my ability to ignore a person's feelings for me and cling to them fanatically died many years ago, Naruto. You know there's nothing to worry about from me."

"I know that… but that doesn't mean I want to see it."

"Possessive," Sakura sing-songed to him with a grin, resisting the urge to link her arm through his as she dragged him along. It would have to be a gradual public change in their relationship if they were to keep suspicion off of them.

"Sorry, Sakura, but you're one hot chick. Not as gorgeous as you are later, of course," he flashed her a roguish grin, "But if Sasuke is still questioning his sexuality, I'd rather not have him suddenly attracted to you."

Sakura laughed and shook her head, "Sasuke finds nothing about females sexually attractive. He isn't a ball of hormones like you are."

"I'm grievously offended, my lady…"

"Don't even start, Naruto. Just because your vocabulary has risen doesn't mean you have to blow a fuse."

"Why you--"

"You have to act like nothing has changed as well." She twitched with the urge to smash a fist into his head as she saw him mocking her from what he thought was out of her vision.

They entered the hospital and even Sakura could no longer find a way to keep their levity and comfort Naruto, as she was trying to comfort herself. She knew that her own most precious person was within these walls somewhere, lying in a hospital bed. Or was he released by now? She didn't know, she couldn't remember, because at this time she had been shallow enough to have ignored the shining star her husband was.

As they approached the door to what Tsunade had told them was Sasuke's room, Sakura took a deep breath. When the dizziness hit, she didn't even have time to wonder why before the change took her over.

--

Naruto tromped into the room with a very real scowl, though the emotions behind it were very much different than what most would assume. He resolutely kept his eyes on the far wall and _not _on the bed, suddenly unable to look upon the teen who he knew was there. He wasn't ready for this, and years of practice at holding in his emotions was failing him as it often did when faced with highly affecting moments. Naruto let Sakura breeze past him as he hovered near the door, eyes on the window.

"Sasuke-kun! You're awake!"

"Hn."

Naruto had been hoping he wouldn't be. His heart leapt to his throat and he wanted to break into tears right there before flinging himself at Sasuke, clinging to his neck and refusing to let go. The voice was dull and bored, and Naruto loved the man all the more for it. He could just imagine the expression currently on his face, dark eyes staring at anything but the bubbly pinkette who was currently cooing over Sasuke's condition.

"I can't believe you're stuck in here still, Sasuke-kun! When do the nurses think you will be released? When you do, would you like to go out to lunch with me? There's a great little shop on the eastern side of town…"

"No."

The smallest pause, "Well, maybe tomorrow then, Sasuke." Naruto heard him grunt, and was sure Sakura had latched herself onto him. "Hey, Sasuke, I've been thinking about training to become a medical nin… then when you get hurt like this, I can take care of you and never have to leave your side! Wouldn't that be great?"

Naruto applauded her acting. Had he not known her better, Naruto would have believed the syrupy tone of Sakura's voice. She was currently prattling on about how much better he was looking, the fictional things they would do together when he was well, the things he had missed in the few days since their mission. Naruto hoped to go unnoticed until he had collected himself, but his luck never seemed to hold.

"Dobe, what in the hell are you scowling at?"

Naruto jerked at the long-standing epithet, eyes darting to Sasuke. He regretted it instantly.

Sasuke's eyes pierced him with their apathy, something he was so unused to seeing directed towards him. Even when Sasuke was hiding his emotions, long years by his side had granted Naruto the ability to understand his bastard's emotions… but there was nothing there now beyond irritation and annoyance. Dark hair was more limp around his face than usual, but still held its usual style. Naruto knew from experience that sleeping on it could not really tame the hair, it took getting it wet. Like in the rain, or in the shower… or in the shower with Naruto…

Naruto tore his eyes away and forced on a cheerful grin, far too wide to be genuine but it seemed to convince Sasuke. "Ch, teme. Having fun in bed? Wish I could laze about all day, but I have more important things on my agenda."

Silence greeted his flippancy, and he peeked through the corner of his eye to find two rather surprised fifteen year olds watching him.

"What?"

Sasuke recovered first, face blanking of expression and a dark brow raising. "I wasn't aware you were capable of being coherent with words over four letters, usuratonkachi."

Real annoyance now, and Naruto felt his eye twitch, "Teme… how about I kick your ass and show you how articulate I can be?"

This time, Sasuke's eyes only widened a bit at the sudden increase in Naruto's vocabulary. Naruto didn't care. He had told Sakura that he didn't intend to play the fool. He would take the transition as slowly as he could, but he wasn't going to sit here pretending he had the vocabulary of a ten year old and liked girls in any way past passive attraction. Speaking of Sakura…

Naruto blinked at the girl owlishly, suddenly realizing just how shocked she looked. Now, Naruto knew she could act, but this was ridiculous. When she scowled at him with very real distaste, Naruto recoiled internally.

He laced his fingers behind his head and gave another plastic smile, eyes nearly closed. He walked over to the bed, still trying to avoid the piercing stare of his husb-- well, friend-- no… rival?-- and grabbing Sakura's arm perhaps a bit too tight. "What is wrong with you, Sakura?" he hissed in her ear, smile frozen in place as he tried to cover his actions by batting his eyes simperingly.

"Eww! Get off of me, Naruto!" she smacked at his hands, cringing as his grip tightened.

He glanced over at Sasuke and met the suspicious dark eyes unflinchingly, having much experience in disregarding those dark looks. "We'll be back soon, alright Sasuke? Ah hah hah… Sakura-chan promised we'd… uhh… stop by and see… Fuzzy Eyebrows! Yeah, Fuzzy Eyebrows! So… we'll be back in just a minute, kay? Kay…"

He yanked a struggling Sakura out of the room, ignoring the nearly hostile tension emanating from Sasuke. He would deal with any ramifications of this later; for now he only wanted to know what in the hell was wrong with Sakura.

She was struggling. "Get off of me! How dare you touch me and take me away from my Sasuke-kun? Just who do you think you are, Naruto? Let go, let go, let go!"

The usual dark glares the citizens of Konoha were magnified within the hospital walls, and Naruto saw several aborted movements in his direction. He was apparently rather intimidating in that moment, though, since none attempted to actually pull him away from his protesting teammate.

"Damnit, Naruto, let me--" And then abruptly, Sakura stopped struggling and in fact grasped his arm, yanking him into an empty room and slamming the door behind them.

"What the hell was that, Sakura?" he hissed, clenching his fists.

"I don't know!" she said back just as quietly and no less angrily.

"Well, pardon me for being confused when you go from the pretense of acting to actually _being_ the annoying-as-hell little twit you were when you were fifteen!"

Sakura snarled and cracked her knuckles, "You didn't think I was so bad if you had a crush on me, idiot. You were _ten times_ more annoying at this age…"

"This is not the argument!" Naruto thundered, eyes narrowing. "I want to know what in the hell happened!"

The pinkette stiffened and bowed her head, eyes still flashing dangerously but obviously reining in her urge to argue in the face of Naruto's palpable anger. She hoped no one came to investigate the aura of rage he was exuding; for at least the twentieth time, she wished they had managed to finish the jutsu they had been attempting to create that would allow privacy. They had managed a more complex version of the ones surrounding the Hokage's office, but had yet to make one that could be put up without excessive chakra and hours of warding.

"Now, Sakura," the lack of suffix only made her incline her head farther. "What. Happened. In. There."

"I really don't know, Ho--Naruto," she whispered, catching herself in case anyone was listening. "One minute I was entering the room, the next it was like I had no control over my body. I could see and hear everything, but I couldn't make myself speak or move."

Naruto was pacing, and Sakura clenched and unclenched her fists. Her annoyance at the blond was gone, but she was very angry over what had happened. It was horribly disconcerting to have no control over your own body, to be a spectator. She shivered as she watched him walk back and forth across the small open space before the empty hospital beds.

"You were acting just as you had when you were this age. Fawning over Sasuke, looking at me like I was a leper. You were surprised that I had a brain…"

"Kisame…"

Naruto paused in mid-step, turning to regard her with wide eyes. "Eh?"

"Kisame!"

"What about fishface?"

"Just as the jutsu completed he stabbed me, right?" She ignored the dark look in her friend's face and went on. "What if I didn't come through as well as we thought?"

Naruto had stopped altogether and now collapsed in a heap on the hospital bed, staring at the floor. Sakura rolled her eyes as she watched him put the pieces together, slow on the uptake as usual but still intelligent enough to understand. After a few moments of silence he yelled suddenly, "I could kill Kisame for this!"

"Weren't you going to do that anyway?" Sakura said wryly, raising an eyebrow.

A short pause before the reply came slowly, "Well… yeah… but…" he grinned tipping his head back with squinted eyes. "Now I have an even better reason, dattebayo!"

Sakura wanted to smile at the childishness Naruto seemed to eternally possess, but the flash of flippancy was gone as quickly as it had come, and blue eyes were calculating once more. "So… instead of replacing your fifteen year old self… you're… sharing the body?"

"Most likely, yes. I can't think of any other solution."

"But then why did you lose control?"

Sakura placed a finger on her lips and tapped, staring at the ceiling. "Well, it was the second I entered Sasuke-kun's room. His chakra, perhaps? It must have something to do with him…"

"Or you were so obsessed with him at this age that your younger self can't bear to be separated from him," Naruto said with a sardonic grin.

"Actually…"

Naruto snapped his head towards her and narrowed his eyes. "Actually…?"

Sakura laughed, "That makes sense, really. Who better to trigger a change than Sasuke? He is the real difference between my older and younger selves. I didn't see what you two had until I was eighteen, when you returned from your training with Jiraiya-sama."

"You knew then?" Naruto said after a long silence, stunned. "I didn't even know until… well… until after he came back."

Sakura laughed quietly, shaking her head. "You couldn't see yourself. Someone would mention Sasuke's name and you would get so quiet, so serious. Once you were reminded of him, no one else existed in the world to you. When I was younger, perhaps I was obsessed with him… but he as your _world_. And it had nothing to do with how handsome he was, how aloof or talented… it was all because you saw in him what no one else could, what no one else dared. You knew him in ways none of us ever could have dreamed of back then… and it didn't take long for me to see how important your bond was. I knew you would manage to save him someday, and I knew your connection would only evolve from there. And… I was happy for you both. I think that is when I knew I'd grown up."

Naruto watched her fondly, his previous anger washed away. He shook his head and gave a crooked smile. "I'm glad you know me better than I know myself, Sakura-chan. I don't know how I would be doing this without you. We'll just have to strangle that annoying ass part of you until it goes the hell away, and you'll be great."

She laughed, but her evil grin sent Naruto skittering.

"Anyway, we should be getting back to the bastard, shouldn't we?"

Sakura shifted and peered at him out of the corner of her eye, lips pursing. "You aren't doing well with this, Naruto."

"What do you expect, Sakura-chan?" His smile was heartbreaking. "It hurts. To see him looking at me like I'm an insect, not remembering the things I do. I can't tease him about the henge I put on him at our wedding, or remind him of the time I saved his ass from those ninja who'd caught him bathing in the river. He looks so much the same despite the age difference… but seeing him really brought it home that he isn't the same. And I'm going to have to deal with that."

Arms wrapped around him and Naruto sagged against his friend, breathing shakily. Her fingers ran up and down his back, soft sounds of comfort breathed against his hair. He was embarrassed to be coddled like she would have her son, but she supposed that this was a catharsis for them both. His arms came around her waist and they stayed like that for long minutes, both collecting themselves.

"We should go, Naruto."

"Hmm, yeah. Sakura-chan?"

She turned and raised her eyebrows, a soft smile remaining on her face.

"Thank you. And I swear to you that I will fix this."

"If anyone can, it will be you, Naruto."

--

Naruto had been sitting there for quite some time, squinting his eyes through the darkness of the cloudy night. His vision had never been very good -- he liked to blame Kyuubi for that, fucking canid -- and he was having trouble searching through the shadows in the meager light thrown from the streetlights, despite his best efforts. The darkness was too dense outside of the rough circles thrown by the lights, the blackness too deep. Naruto gave up on his futile search and closed his eyes, letting the sounds of the night wash over him.

Naruto let himself be lost in the song of a nearby cicada, however strange it was for one to be out when the weather was cooling so rapidly, breathing slowly going steadier. He needed to focus. He couldn't lose himself to his own headstrong emotions. In some cases, it was all he had and it was a damn good thing he had them; he could name a million instances in his youth that he had only survived by sheer determination and rash action. But in moments like this, with so much on the line, Naruto knew he needed to keep his head about him.

"This way."

The whisper reached his ears easily, and Naruto snapped open his eyes to search for his quarry, as ineffectual as it was. Though he could make little to nothing out in the deep shadows of the night, he could both hear and sense the enemy now, closing in on his position. Naruto kept low to the wall surrounding the hospital's roof, eyes turned towards where he knew the group was.

As they stood beneath him, Naruto could almost make them out. He counted silently, tallying up the four and hoping that the weird bone-guy hadn't joined when they had been unable to find Sasuke immediately. By their relaxed postures, though, he didn't think he had. They seemed to assured of their own success.

"Why is he in this dump?"

A muffled scoff. "It is a hospital. He is obviously injured. This will only make our mission for Orochimaru-sama easier."

Naruto wished he could see well enough to distinguish who was speaking, but it wasn't worth straining himself. He couldn't even remember their names, anyway.

"So, what, we just scale the wall and grab this Uchiha kid? How boring."

Air was expelled loudly. "No way you're getting me climbing walls."

"Fat ass."

"Listen, brat, just because you're a girl…"

"Enough, all of you!" There was a long stretch of silence. "Let's just get this Uchiha guy and get out of here. Orochimaru-sama doesn't want the entire village coming after us, ya know?"

Naruto decided now was as good as ever. He stood and stepped up onto the low wall, lips quirking as he stepped off and dropped to the ground, chakra breaking his fall. The group had scattered back and Naruto gave them a grin, able to see them well enough now. "Hey kids. Nice night for a walk, isn't it?"

"Who in the hell are you?!" the largest of the group growled, setting his formidable frame forward as if he was going to charge.

"Uzumaki Naruto, at your service. And if you want to get your grubby little mitts on Sasuke, you're gonna have to go through me, first!"

The girl of the group, having scooted to the back, scoffed. "Please. I could take you on blindfolded."

Naruto smiled and brought his hands together. "We'll see. _Kage bunshin no Jutsu!_"

--

A/N: Right. I don't do good battle scenes, especially with characters I don't care much about. If it was characters I was comfortable writing, I could probably get something out. But with these guys? Pah. I had to Wiki them so I could remember anything beyond "Uhh, they were called the Sound Four!" So… cop out. Big one.

Side pairings. I have never been good at them and they always, in my stories, get brushed over at best. Mentioned, known, but I will rarely, if ever, actually focus (or even write at all) on any pairing other than the main one of the story. However, there will be many, many, many pairings in this story, most of them het (I am not an everyone-is-gay writer, I can't do it no matter how much I love reading it). However, if you can think of the pairing, it will probably be mentioned at least in jest. One thing I've always noticed about fanfiction is the distinct lack of 'dating'… so far as the Konoha Rookies are concerned, they will have (and will in the new timeline) experiment, break up, and have horrible and not-so-farfetched matches before ultimately ending up with someone.

If you're REALLY concerned about it, I'll try and list them all sometime, or at least the ones they ended up with and will end up with this time around. However, as I said, it really is going to be hardly a point of the story, so I hope I don't lose readers because of _mentioned_ pairings.


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